Deers of Nara, then Uji and Fushimi Inari
After our day at Arashiyama, we spent July 27 exploring several cities along the Nara line: Nara itself, where we played with deer and visited a large temple; Uji, famous for matcha; and another famous place called Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto. We could have easily spent a full day or more at each place!
Nara
We took the Nara line to Nara Station and walked east on Sanjo Dori toward Nara Park. Delightfully, my friend Vivian — who I met when she and my friend Harry visited from Taiwan in 2022 — happened to be in Kyoto and noticed my Instagram stories yesterday. We agreed to meet in Nara. We found her waiting for us near a FamilyMart a couple of blocks from the station. She got a small gift for Alan and me, as well as some mochi treats for Patton and Chakib and me. We saved them for later, and they were delicious!
Outside Nara Station
We met up with my friend Vivian from Taiwan, and she gave us some delicious mochi desserts.
We made our way east and passed up a large stone stairway with a temple at the top, called Kōfuku-ji Chukondo. The stairs are apparently a historic landmark known as 五十二段, literally “52 stairs”.
Buddhist temple Kōfuku-ji Chukondo in Nara, Kyoto, Japan.
Then we walked through the parks near the Nara National Museum on the way to some temples near Nara Park. (I’m not sure where the boundaries of the various parks are, maybe it was all Nara Park.) The deer were immediate and everywhere. We stopped basically right away to take some photos.
We spent time with many deer while walking near Nara National Museum toward the Nara Park area.
We spent time with many deer while walking near Nara National Museum toward the Nara Park area.
Apparently the thing to do as a tourist is to bow to the deer before feeding them. I resisted this but was not sure if what I was remembering was right. As I later confirmed from this nice blog Visiting Nara in Japan to See the Sacred Bowing Deer:
Shika deer are nicknamed “bowing deer” in Japan for the way they sometimes lower their heads at visitors. The motion resembles a courteous bow, but it is actually an implied threat of headbutting. This cross-species cultural misunderstanding has its costs. In 2016, a year after I visited Nara, Japan, 121 people were injured by the deer, mostly while feeding them.
I’m not going to claim Patton triggered them by bowing, though. :-)
We spent time with many deer while walking near Nara National Museum toward the Nara Park area.
There was a misting station, presumably for humans due to the heat, but the deer at Nara Park were happy to spend time there cooling off as well.
We spent time with many deer while walking near Nara National Museum toward the Nara Park area.
Patton was attempting to clean his new shoes via several methods all morning. He finally got a bottle of water to dump on them.
My friend Vivian from Taiwan happened to be in Kyoto and notice my Instagram story about being there. We met up the next day in Nara and hung out with some deer.
Some vendors were selling packs of cookies for feeding the deer for 200 yen a bundle, about $1.25. I love how nothing in Japan seems like a ripoff.
There are vendors in Nara selling stacks of cookies for 200 yen, I think, to feed the deer. Pretty reasonably priced, though I hope they are good for the deer!
Oh so many deer!
I do admit to spending a bit of time attempting to take a selfie with some deer at Nara Park in Japan. Having a cookie in hand may have helped.
I do admit to spending a bit of time attempting to take a selfie with some deer at Nara Park in Japan. Having a cookie in hand may have helped.
I do admit to spending a bit of time attempting to take a selfie with some deer at Nara Park in Japan. Having a cookie in hand may have helped.
I loved how the deer in Nara were everywhere, even off the beaten path hanging out down by the river and under this bridge.
I loved how the deer in Nara were everywhere, even off the beaten path hanging out down by the river and under this bridge.
We walked past the Shinto Himuro Shrine established in 710, but didn’t go in. We kept going to the larger Buddhist temple Todaiji (東大寺) founded in 738. It houses a giant 15 meter tall Buddha statue and has many 20 meter tall wood tall columns throughout.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
I met a tiny fawn outside Buddhist temple complex Todaiji in Nara, Japan.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
One of the columns has near its base a hole going through with a diameter apparently equally the size of one of that giant Buddha’s nostrils that people crawl through. It was quite a spectacle.
There is a 20m tall wood column at Todaiji with a hole in the bottom the size of one nostril of the giant 15m Buddha at that temple. People crawl through it for some kind of good fortune.
Patton, Chakib and I all attempted to go through, and were successful. Sadly the video evidence for my passage is a bit lacking! Chakib was live streaming it to Twitch, but the Internet cut out for a bit and the stream froze while I was making it through, only picking up as I slid out. People clapped apparently, but I didn’t notice this in the moment because I was taken aback by being the center of attention for a moment. The stream video also got lost, but I happened to record a “copy” of it with my camera viewing his phone. Very silly technology!
I gave it a try, not expecting to make it through, but I did! People clapped apparently, but I didn't notice this in the moment because I was taken aback by being the center of attention for a moment.
We explored the grounds some more and then made our way back down to the town.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
Patton's somewhat severe reactions to mosquito bites.
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
Maybe the same fawn I saw earlier, outside the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji. So cute!
We explored the Buddhist temple complex Todaiji (東大寺), which has a bunch of buildings sprawling across a hillside, and a giant Buddha statue.
There was a free tea house at Todaiji, all you needed to do was wash your dishes when you were done.
To save some time since it was hot and we were dying, we went back to Nara Station by taking a bus. But we had to wait for the bus in the sun, so Chakib and Patton hid in the shade behind the bus stop, which interestingly had an overhang that did not help at all. I sheltered next to a utility pole and looked out for the bus down the road.
We waited at a bus stop to get to Nara Station a little faster. It was very hot, around 98 degrees F, and there was little shade around. Chakib and Patton hid behind the bus stop, and I sheltered next to a utility pole.
We waited at a bus stop to get to Nara Station a little faster. It was very hot, around 98 degrees F, and there was little shade around. Chakib and Patton hid behind the bus stop, and I sheltered next to a utility pole.
We got to Nara Station at about 15:30 and got some snacks at the grocery store there, as we had some time before the next train up to Uji. I got a beer for the train, after reading extensively on people’s opinions about drinking on trains in Japan. As best I can tell, eating and drinking is legal on all trains, but is considered less appropriate on shorter routes. Some people will consider you rude, but it’s probably OK if you are clean and maybe keep the drinks to when the train is stopped. That’s what I went with, though I did hide my drink when we happened to be sitting next to a train agent who got into the same car for one stop.
We got some snacks at the grocery store below Nara Station. Food is so much cheaper than in the United States, it was a little depressing. This delicious sushi was about $2.50, a third of what it would cost at home.
Uji
We got off at Uji Station and rushed to a matcha store called Nakamura Tokichi Honten that Google told us was closing at 17:30. We were happy we got there by 16:38, but then we saw a big sign that said the restaurant closed orders at 16:30! I think this was the third time we were foiled by believing what the businesses posted on their Google Maps listing. We begrudgingly settled for buying a few canisters of matcha from their store, which was still open. Some of them were extremely expensive, costing more than $200 for 30g, but they also had much more reasonably priced ones for about $5. I will never know what the difference is in the taste, and that’s probably a good thing!
Walking around Uji, Japan, we found these nice statues of tanukis, or Japanese raccoon dogs that are often depicted with huge testicles.
Walking around Uji, Japan, we found these nice statues of tanukis, or Japanese raccoon dogs that are often depicted with huge testicles.
Then we went to the Buddhist temple Byodo-In built in 998. The grounds close at 17:30, and we got there at 17:10. We decided to buy admission anyway and rushed through. The main building is called Phoenix Hall, and sits beautifully within a large pond. Apparently there is a replica built in Hawaii in the late ‘60s to commemorate 100 years since Japanese immigrants went to to Hawaiʻi.
We briefly visited the Buddhist temple Byōdō-In, built in 998. They closed at 17:30, giving us 20 minutes to rush around the grounds and garden and take some photos. There is a replica of this temple in Hawaii.
We briefly visited the Buddhist temple Byōdō-In, built in 998. They closed at 17:30, giving us 20 minutes to rush around the grounds and garden and take some photos. There is a replica of this temple in Hawaii.
We briefly visited the Buddhist temple Byōdō-In, built in 998. They closed at 17:30, giving us 20 minutes to rush around the grounds and garden and take some photos. There is a replica of this temple in Hawaii.
An adult cicada seen at the Buddhist temple Byōdō-In in Uji, Japan.
Next we went to the tea room at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi-Sannyu Honten, which was closing at 18:00. We got there at 17:37 and told them we would hurry. I was getting the feeling we really should have shifted our entire day’s schedule earlier by 1 hour!
We went to the tea room at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi-Sannyu Honten in Uji, Japan, which was closing at 18:00. We got there at 17:37 and told them we would hurry.
We went to the tea room at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi-Sannyu Honten in Uji, Japan, which was closing at 18:00. We got there at 17:37 and told them we would hurry.
We went to the tea room at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi-Sannyu Honten in Uji, Japan, which was closing at 18:00. We got there at 17:37 and told them we would hurry.
We went to the tea room at Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi-Sannyu Honten in Uji, Japan, which was closing at 18:00. We got there at 17:37 and told them we would hurry.
Then we spent some time at the Uji Bridge, said to have been built by a monk from Nara around 646, though the current structure was built in 1996 after a disaster. We went halfway across and hung out in the middle. Chakib helped Patton make a Tiktok video dancing to the Mamushi song by Megan Thee Stallion. I was very happy Chakib helped, because he clearly knew what he was doing with the camera movements. Patton had wanted me to help him film, but I was not familiar with Tiktok video style, never heard the song he was dancing to, much less seen all the choreography for it, and am not Gen Z! Thank you Chakib, you did great!
Statue of Murasaki-Shikibu, the author of Tale of Genji, at the Uji bridge in Uji, Japan.
Hanging out at the Uji bridge in Uji, Japan, halfway between Kyoto and Nara.
Hanging out at the Uji bridge in Uji, Japan, halfway between Kyoto and Nara.
Hanging out at the Uji bridge in Uji, Japan, halfway between Kyoto and Nara.
Interesting weed prevention paper at the Uji bridge in Uji, Japan, halfway between Kyoto and Nara.
Fushimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto
Finally, we went from Uji Station to Fushimi Inari Station. We got there as it was getting dark around 19:30. We spent some time hanging out at the Daily Yamazaki convenience store just outside and taking some photos of the Great Torii across the street. I forgot if we were waiting for something there, but we spent about 30 minutes before heading to the big hill. I think I bought a Coke. I was also monitoring some construction they had going on at the tori base.
We started venturing up Inari San at 20:06. Also called Fushimi Inari Taisha, it was established in 711 and currently contains around 10,000 “torii” gateways along the paths leading up the mountain. This is the head shrine of the roughly 30,000 Inari shrines throughout Japan. The related diety is called Inari Ōkami or Ō-Inari (大稲荷). The messengers of Inari Ōkami are supposed to be foxes, but not the usual foxes, but rather “white foxes” that can’t be seen and are more like spirits. There’s more interesting tidbits about this at the official English Fushimi Inari Taisha FAQ. Anyway, we spent about 2 hours going up and then down the mountain.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
View of Kyoto from the path up Fushimi Inari Taisha at 21:05.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
We spent about two and a half hours climbing the many stairs to the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha and then going back down. Since we started after 22:00, it was mostly dark and hard to take photos.
A very large centipede I saw on the path back down from the top of Fushimi Inari Taisha in Kyoto, Japan.
We hoped to then get food once we got back to Kyoto Station, but we couldn’t settle on one of the small number of places that was still open after 23:00. Patton and I almost went to a kind of fast casual 24/7 place called Nakau, but Chakib didn’t want to eat that, and we ended up not going. It was probably for the best, though, because I would eat another big breakfast at the buffet the next morning!
Back at Fushimi Inari Station in Kyoto.
Back at Fushimi Inari Station in Kyoto.
Next up: walking from Kyoto to Lake Biwa.
Entries in this series
- Japan reunions, hedgehogs, my first capsule hotel (July 22-24)
- Kyoto: Gion festival and a hillside run (July 24-25)
- Exploring Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka (July 25)
- View from Daihikaku Senkōji Temple, and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (July 26)
- Deers of Nara, then Uji and Fushimi Inari (July 27)
- A walk from Kyoto to Lake Biwa (July 28)
- Touring Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building, Osaka gay bars (July 29)
- Running around Osaka, Kobe, leaving Japan (July 30-31)
- Another delightful but very short Japan excursion (August 14)
